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The Rubio v West Diary

because you knew this was coming

Depending on which rabbit holes on the net you fall into, you’re going to stumble on the Allen West/Marco Rubio thing. I call it a “thing” because at this point there’s not a lot to the story. More like a bunch of writers wanting to stir up something or, who knows, maybe wishful dreaming.

In brief, Allen West went on a radio show this morning and at some point the announcer made mention of the fact that a lot of Floridians weren’t happy with Senator Rubio right now and then asked West about a possible primary challenge for Rubio’s seat! If this were a movie you would cue the dream sequence right about here.

And you should note that depending which hole you fall into the headlines want to throw a little hope to the redmeaters out there. Politico’s headline “Allen West Open to Marco Rubio Challenge”. Um, ok I guess. Over at HotAir, Allahpundit had “Allen West won’t rule out primarying Rubio in Florida in 2016″. Alright, sounds nice. At Real Clear Politics we’re met with “Allen West Threatens To Challenge Marco Rubio In 2016 Primary”. Well, I thought the word “threatens” was a bit of a stretch but it was titillating for a brief moment to imagine what if…

There wasn’t much to the exchange, just a few lines but RCP has up the transcript. Essentially, he doesn’t say yes he’ll do it or no he won’t. But he calls it a “heavy lift” because Rubio is a sitting senator. But it does open itself up to questions conservatives need to ask themselves. Are we mad enough to dump Rubio merely because of the way he’s handled the Amnesty bill? (Its not about immigration. There are laws already regarding immigration both legal and illegal. So just call it what it is. An amnesty bill). And, were West to get in if he saw enough support, how would he handle a major issue? Like the conservative we voted for, or would he turn into another Rubio? He might. Or anyone else who wanted to primary him. Politicians do it all the time. Say one thing during the runup to an election and then disappoint the base.

Rubio was brought into the “Gang” to bring conservatives on board with the bill. To sell it to us. And most aren’t buying it. So, do we consider him another McCain? Put an R by the name but don’t expect him to make the tough votes when needed? Or is it time to dream of someone new?